TACKtern Series: My Summer as a Thumbtack Software Engineering Intern
By: David B Kim
My Interview Experience
While I didn’t know very much about Thumbtack when I first sent in my internship application, I was very surprised from the very first technical interview. Thumbtack stood out to me more than any of the other companies I’d been considering. As a prospective software engineering intern, their technical questions were relevant — the challenges modeled the real-world problems that Thumbtack engineers faced daily. There was also an interview that was simply meant for me to ask questions and get to know a current engineer at the company. It was a great way for me to learn about what Thumbtack does, the company culture, and the kind of work I would be doing, so it added a feeling of uniqueness to the interview process. From the short time I spent interviewing with Thumbtack, I knew that I wanted to spend my summer here (or at least, virtually here). So, it was an easy choice to make when I received my offer.
My First Week
As this was my first internship, I was pretty nervous when I started my first week at Thumbtack. I didn’t know what to expect from this new environment, and I even remember wondering what a lot of the terminology and lingo meant during onboarding. However, even with the remote circumstances, my peers and coworkers were very welcoming and did a great job teaching me the ropes. There are a lot of customs/traditions/practices involved with a company, but by the time I was finished with my first few weeks, the flow of things had fallen into place and I felt like a real member of the team.
My Internship Takeaways
My experience here has been nothing short of amazing. From working on UI projects that will have a real impact on people and learning about new technologies/career paths, to having fun getting to know my team members and fellow interns through company-wide events like Donut Talks and Brown Bags, I feel like my summer has been very fulfilling and I’ve learned something new every day. In particular, there are two major takeaways that I’ve learned in order to make the most of my time here.
The first is to be proactive. Sometimes, imposter syndrome can feel very real and will prevent people from speaking up with ideas and questions. Don’t be afraid to take on ownership roles and responsibility for the work being done, even if it feels like it’s stretching past what you’re used to, because you won’t know how far you can go unless you try.
Thumbtack’s environment is unique in that everyone working here was very passionate about what they do, so everyone is willing to help. Also, Thumbtack does a great job of hosting both informational and entertaining events, and I’m glad I attended as many of those as possible. Some of my favorites were the Among Us game night with my team CX Find and the interns’ terrarium workshop!
The second major takeaway is to be curious. No individual team has its hands in all the different areas/technologies/platforms that Thumbtack has its roots in, so it’s up to you to explore how all the different parts of Thumbtack come together. Offer to implement that interesting idea, reach out to that engineer whose work focuses on a different part of the codebase than you do, browse through the company documentation/wiki pages — the possibilities are endless. Technology is always evolving, it’s important to have a willingness to learn new things as it will help you adapt and be open minded to change.
Looking Back
Looking back at it now, my internship has gone by so quickly. This internship is a major part of why this summer has been one of my most memorable summers so far, and I already know that I have strengthened both my technical and non-technical skills to grow as an engineer. Thank you Thumbtack and everyone who mentored and taught me along the way!
